redsnowboots

I should add, when you call landlords be sure to tell them you are a GRAD student. Landlords love grad students but some won't even consider renting to undergrads.

Yes - you really should investigate this early. I'm local and I can tell you that every college student (undergrads included) in the 20 or so colleges around here is looking for a place September 1st . (Us locals try our darndest to get a different lease date but often have no luck on that either.) Your best bet is to try to get a place which opens August 1st - there aren't as many but you are settled before school starts and you have slightly less competition. Don't let any rental agent try to convince you he's exclusive, call all the rental places and also use craigslist. Also - when you do move be sure to reserve a u-haul and pay the city for a permit to block off a parking space in front of your new apartment well in advance. September 1st and August - to a lesser degree - are both busy. The good news about that is that some relocating person is likely to leave some ok furniture on the curb for pickup. So, you can save a couple of bucks there.